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The ALMaQUEST survey IX: The nature of the resolved star forming main sequence

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Maiolino, R 
Bluck, AFL 
Lin, L 

Abstract

We investigate the nature of the scaling relations between the surface density of star formation rate (ΣSFR), stellar mass (Σ), and molecular gas mass (ΣH2), aiming at distinguishing between the relations that are primary, i.e. more fundamental, and those which are instead an indirect by-product of the other relations. We use the ALMaQUEST survey and analyse the data by using both partial correlations and Random Forest regression techniques. We unambiguously find that the strongest intrinsic correlation is between ΣSFR and ΣH2 (i.e. the resolved Schmidt-Kennicutt relation), followed by the correlation between ΣH2 and Σ (resolved Molecular Gas Main Sequence, rMGMS). Once these two correlations are taken into account, we find that there is no evidence for any intrinsic correlation between ΣSFR and Σ, implying that SFR is entirely driven by the amount of molecular gas, while its dependence on stellar mass (i.e. the resolved Star Forming Main Sequence, rSFMS) simply emerges as a consequence of the relationship between molecular gas and stellar mass.

Description

Keywords

galaxies: evolution, galaxies: formation, galaxies: fundamental parameters, galaxies: star formation

Journal Title

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0035-8711
1365-2966

Volume Title

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)
Sponsorship
European Research Council (695671)
STFC (2440936)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). ERC Advanced Grant 695671 "QUENCH".